Record Keeping-Recipe Books

[M_D]

What do you all do to keep track of your fly recipes and stuff?

I'd gotten into the habit of using Powerpoint as my recipe book.....I could snap a quick picture of the fly or my dye bath and then type in whatever information I wanted...hook size feathers, dye ratios....whatever.

I just learned Microsoft Office (which includes PP) is now $70 per year and since I no longer need it for work my dutch side is saying 'no more'...so what do y'all do?

Or do you do anything?

Maybe it's just a matter of keeping my OCD in check...I dunno

Shirley there are good ideas out there

 

[Scottp]

I post them here and a few other sites and hope they have a useable search function so I can go back to make sure I don’t tie the same fly twice. Also started dumping them on Instagram; think I may wean off other places and focus there.

Regards,
Scott

 

[Buzzy]

I post them here and a few other sites and hope they have a useable search function so I can go back to make sure I don’t tie the same fly twice. Also started dumping them on Instagram; think I may wean off other places and focus there.

Regards,
Scott

Please don't wean off this site!

 

[Wanative]

I take pictures of them. I can pretty much duplicate them that way. I don't tie a large variety of flys so there's not a lot to remember which becomes more important as time goes by.

 

[Norm Frechette]

i put the flies i tie on my blog and multiple forums + instagram

Flytying: New and Old

A collection of new and old fly patterns, fly tying tips and tricks and other fly fishing articles

flytyingnewandold.blogspot.com

Normand Frechette (@norm_frechette) • Instagram photos and videos

580 Followers, 71 Following, 631 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Normand Frechette (@norm_frechette)

www.instagram.com

i bookmark a lot of patterns and store them on an external hard drive

i use microsoft word on some patterns

i have a vast library of fly tying books

 

[Tom Butler]

I keep pictures of flies and fish in yearly folders, then separated out by water body, then date. The other reference is to look in a box, I'll have restocked before I use the last one. Everything else for actual patterns is tabs in books. But I found I just need to be close, a picture seems to work, because for the life of me I can't seem to tie the exact same fly twice anyways.
edit: I don't think I really answered your question tough.

 

[kmudgn]

I'm too embarresed by the flies I tie and only want the fish to know what they look like

 

[M_D]

for the life of me I can't seem to tie the exact same fly twice anyways.

No kidding...which is why I kinda asked....many of my flies are like the old "Telephone' game....by the time I tie a handful, the last one only vaguely look like the first one.

and thanks all, my take away is it's time to chill on the OCD....I'm not tying anything legendary and when my CRS flares up...there are plenty of other databases out there

 

[Rio Grande King]

Al Troth taught lots of us in SW Montana to document what we tied, "You think you'll remember but you won't". So true.

I now keep a journal (in an old unsupported version of MS Word) which includes fly recipes as well as general observations and pithy quotes from this site and elsewhere. Very insightful going back through previous years to refresh memories.

 

[Grandpa Jim]

I primarily tie saltwater flies. After the 1st year I realized I couldn't remember all my "recipes" so started keeping a a running MS Word narrative on the materials to tie the patterns I use. I have SRC, feeding/traveling salmon & estuary salmon categories in my narrative. I keep flies in boxes so hopefully can look at a pattern before I loose the last fly. I'm now starting to take pictures of my good flies and archiving them. In my narrative I put an asterisk by effective flies and a double asterisk by really effective flies with an occasional note describing location/presentation that worked well for that fly. I sometimes add a note on thoughts to spice up a good pattern to try in the future.

Now I'm starting to get boxes of flies that I thought would work...but really don't. I'll need to weed out some this winter and pare down my MS Word narrative...along with re-stocking my effective flies.

There are some very good tiers on this site and I enjoy looking at patterns that people post during the season in "what's catching you fish?". It's very helpful to me! Thanks!

 

[FinLuver]

I have recipes/SBS created in Word and printed out in a notebook. Flies per river/species are tied and stored in plastic boxes with dividers; there is a list on the inside lid; outside is labeled with river/species.

Over 100 books and videos for reference. YouTubes bookmarked as well.

 

[MELinOre]

I'm a fan of using MS Excel.

You can create as many tabs for different types of flies. Nymphs, Buggers, Streamers, etc

1st cell in the tab is the name of the fly.

Next cell down insert photo of fly.

Next open cell down begin with your recipe.

If desired, continue with where/when fished/results.